An auger of the type herein disclosed is known to include an elongated, helically wound, wire shaped to provide at the free, or working, end of the wire an enlarged helical head which is shaped to enter, and cut into or through, a mass of debris. The enlarged head extends from an elongated flexible tubular drive body defined by closely positioned turns of the helical wire. A rotary drive means for the auger includes means that grip said tubular drive body at a point spaced from said head.
In prior constructions the rotary drive means and grip of the tubular drive body included a metal sleeve through which said auger's drive body extended, and with said metal sleeve being radially tapped to receive therethrough the stem of a thumb screw whose free end could be selectively manually advanced or withdrawn, respectively to clamp the auger's tubular drive body against a portion of the metal sleeve diametrically opposite the tapped bore in said sleeve, or to release said clamp.
Such metal construction has, heretofore, been considered essential, to provide the necessary grip strength to effect an operative driving connection between the drive means and the tubular drive body of the auger wire.
It would be desirable to materially reduce the cost of an auger of the type referred to above, and to provide simplified means for effecting a clamp of the auger's tubular drive body.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved auger construction wherein major portions thereof are formed of molded plastic and wherein said metal sleeve and tapping thereof, as used in prior art constructions, are eliminated, to reduce cost of construction while achieving an effective auger unit.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an auger wherein housing and handle portions thereof are formed of plastic, and to also provide integral bearing abutment portions thereon, through means of which an easily operable, but less expensive, auger construction may be achieved.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will become understood by one skilled in the art from the following description of the invention.